Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government engages with local authorities on a range of issues related to climate change on a regular basis, including local authority target setting and reporting requirements, and the Climate Change Plan and Climate Change Plan update. This engagement includes meetings that were held during the formulation of the Climate Change Plan update, and now includes discussions on sectoral issues such as the development of Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES), the decarbonisation of transport and the development of a circular economy.

Additionally, the Scottish Government engages with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE), the Sustainable Scotland Network, and the Scottish Cities Alliance. For example, a meeting was held on Wednesday 7th July with COSLA on the Climate Change Plan update commitment to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030.

Changes to travel restrictions affecting Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council were notified to Parliament by answer to question S6W-00162 on 21 May 2021, and announced to businesses and the public through a media briefing by the First Minister, a news release, and updated guidance on the Scottish Government website. Enforcement of coronavirus travel regulations in Scotland is a matter for Police Scotland. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government has not had any recent conversations with Ofgem regarding the planning rules for local distribution power networks. The planning process requires network operators to apply to Scottish Ministers under Section 37 of the Electricity Act for consent to install or keep installed an electric line above ground (larger than 2 dwellings and 20 kiloVolts). These applications are made by the distribution network operators (ScottishPower and SSE) with all determinations then shown on the ECU portal .

We work closely with both Ofgem and the network companies to ensure that regulatory decisions and network business plans reflect Scottish energy policy. Our Energy Networks Strategic Leadership Group (SLG), which includes representatives from these organisations as well as others, agreed a set of principles this year for the development of energy networks which set out the need to account for devolved policy and targets.

The Scottish Government is progressing wide reform of the planning system, including implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019; preparation of Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework; a review of permitted development rights and a programme of digital transformation of planning services, with a focus on efficient processes, delivering good quality development and positive outcomes.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has invested around
£39 million in peatland restoration through the Peatland Action programme (delivered by NatureScot) and the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme under the Scottish Rural Development Programme. The annual figures are shown in the following table:

The amount spent by the Scottish Government on woodland creation in the years 2016-2021 is set out in the following table:

The Permanent Secretary wrote to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee on 19 February 2021 on how the Scottish Government is strengthening its approach to providing support and managing its on-going interests in businesses. Please find a link to the letter here .

Delivery of new fibre infrastructure is a key component part of a number of Scottish Government digital infrastructure programmes. It is therefore not possible to single out the costs solely attributed to fibre infrastructure.

The level of capital investment in digital infrastructure in each financial year since 2015-16 is provided in the following table:

Flood Risk Management Strategies were published by SEPA in 2015. These set out proposals for 42 flood protection schemes which were prioritised according to their cost benefit ratio and taking into account a series of additional criteria, encompassing the environmental and social impacts of flooding.

It is for local authorities to commission and take forward these Schemes. In July 2016, it was agreed by Scottish Ministers and COSLA that 80% of the flood component of the General Capital Grant would be distributed according to the SEPA prioritisation of flood protection schemes set out in the Flood Risk Management Strategies. 40 of the prioritised schemes were deemed to be eligible for grant funding.

Of the 42 prioritised schemes 9 are complete, 5 are under construction and the others are at various stages of development. 7 other schemes commissioned by local authorities prior to 2016 have also been completed since 2016.

The level of capital investment in digital infrastructure in each financial year since 2015-16 is provided in the following table: